1000 Places To See Before You Die

1000 Places To See Before You Die (c) 1000 Places To See Before You Die (p) GoUK.com

What

New edition of 1000 Places To See Before You Die

When

Released February 2012

Where

Bookshops in the UK and online

The Fanfare

The international travel bestseller 1000 Places To See Before You Die is being re-released nearly a decade after it first hit the bookshelves and includes over 200 entries for Britain.

 “Every trip to Britain guarantees surprises at every turn. England promises a remarkable variety of things to see, from world wonders to small and unsung gems – both man made and places of natural beauty. Scotland is empty and majestic, Wales a plethora of castles, and Belfast born again with an irresistible high-energy scene. And with everything within a relative small area, a visit to Great Britain is manageable and a delight – a veritable see-before-you-die experience.” Patricia Schultz, author.

Britain has no shortage of entries in the book with 53 destinations and over 200 places getting a mention.

From Lands End in Cornwall, where the Olympic torch will make its entry to Britain, to Balfour Castle in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland and plenty of places in between.

Cathedrals

Britain has some magnificant cathedrals – all of them offering something unique to see.

Visit the grave of Jane Austen or see Antony Gormley’s famous sculpture Sound II at Winchester Cathedral or try Canterbury Cathedral to see for yourself what inspired Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

The oldest surviving original clock face of its kind in the world can be seen in Wells and the view from the top of the tower at Salisbury, Britain’s tallest spire at 225 feet above the ground, is breathtaking.

York Minster is perhaps one of the world’s most famous Cathedrals and is where the Emperor Constantine began his progress to greatness.

The foundations of the Roman buildings in which he lived can be seen under the central tower.

Stately Homes / Country Houses

If you love nothing more that seeing how the lords and ladies of past and present live, then the wealth of stately homes and houses in Britain must be on your list of places to visit.

Blenheim Palace was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, following his famous victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 and is another location for the Olympic torch as it makes its way around Britain.

Castle Howard is one of England’s grandest Baroque Mansions and has been used as a film location several times, most famously in the TV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel Brideshead Revisited.

Chatsworth, in the heart of the Peak District, is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and will be exhibiting an exciting selection of Old Master Drawings, including work by Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Van Dyck in 2012.

“It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot.”

Such were the words of Queen Victoria after her first visit to Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight.

Indeed no trip to the island would be complete without a visit to this royal seaside palace where Queen Victoria lived with her beloved Prince Albert and their nine children.

Festivals

Britain has a huge variety of festivals that take place every year that are attended by visitors from all over the world.

In the world of opera, Glyndebourne is unique.

The opera house stands next to the country home of John Christie, who founded it in 1934.

Festival audiences arrive from far and wide and an extended interval allows them time for an evening meal.

Many choose to picnic in the garden.

Some sprawl on rugs, others bring tables, candlesticks and ice buckets.

Almost all wear evening dress.

The Hay Festival of literature in Wales attracts the most exciting writers, filmmakers, comedians, politicians and musicians to inspire, delight and entertain in the beautiful surroundings of the Brecon Beacons.

The collection of Edinburgh Festivals claim their space in the book for their annual world extravaganza of music, drama and dance, as do events such as the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, where over 4,000 performers from across the globe head to the beautiful little Welsh town to take part in a unique event combining competition, performance, and international peace and friendship.

Also worth a visit are the Highland Games in Braemar, Scotland which include events such as throwing the hammer, tossing the caber, putting the shot, tug o’ war, athletics track and field events as well as dancing and piping competitions.

Whisky lovers can take a trip along the Malt Whisky Trail, the only malt whisky trail in the world, and visit seven working distilleries, from Benromach to Dallas Dhu, a perfect time capsule of whisky-making.

So whether you start with North Wales, home to some of Europe’s finest surviving examples of medieval castle construction, The Casueway Coast in Northern Ireland, the Lochs and their legends in Scotland, or the Lake District in England, make sure you get there before you die and see why some of our most loved destinations made the book.